Botaby gas-engine



C. W. MORGAN.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION HLED Aus.2o, |915.

Patented July 15, 19H).

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- c. w. MORGAN. ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATDN HLED AUG.20. |915.

1,309,767. Patent-0d July 15, 15H9.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/////////////////////@iff/2 C. W. MORGAN ROTARY SAS ENGINE. APPucATloN mm Aumzo. |915.

1,309,767. lntvntvd July 15, 12H9.

3 SHEETS-SHEEY 3.

@my M a@ CHARLES W. IIIORGHLN,` F RACINE, WISCONSIN,

ASSIGNOR TO GASOLINE TUBBINE MOTOR COMPANY, 0F RACINE, WISCONSIN.

ROTARY GAS-ENGINE.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented July l5, 1919.

Application tiled August 20, 1915. Serial No. 46,468.

[o all whom it may conf-ern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. MORGAN,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State oi Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is aY full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention refers to improvements in rotary gas engines of the character disclosed 1n a patent granted to me No. 1,113,234, October 13, 1914, for notary gas engines.`

The object of said invention is to simplify the motor throughout and especially wit reference to insuring positive control of the working and compression pistons employed in said motor.

my invention are to provide the oscillatory working pistons with means for yieldably holding the same in active and neutral positions, thereby permittin, r a slight amount of flexure to insure perv fect seating contact between the stationary and movable elements of the engine.

To provide a yieldable link connection between the compression pistons, whereby they are soassociated under unitary control that movement of each piston of the series is dependent upon the movement of the other pistons and to also provide a certain per cent. of independent yield or flexure with reation ai movement of the pistons whereby vperfect `uriace lcontact is had between the .ilovab und fixed elements of the motor:

To provide an arrangementwhereby movement of the work pistons to operativ position at the firing side of the engine procures a preponderance ofcweight at said'side of 'thengine where is exerted which assists the operation of the engine.

With the above and'other objects in view the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as set forth hereinafter with reference to the iccoxnpanymg drawings and subsequently clqlmed.

Other objects of n the drawingsigure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a motor, embodying the features of. my

invention, the section being indicated by linei--l of Fig. 4 Y Fig. S, another sectional elevation of the by a gravltntional force same t en upon a line 2-2 of Fig. 4; l

Fig. 3, still another sectional elevation, the sume beingr also indicated by line 1-1 of Fig. 4, with the exception that certain of the parts are removed upon a plane back of the section line to more clearly illustrate details of construction;

Fig. 4, a cross-section of the motor, the section being indicated by line 4-4 of Figs. l and 3;

Fig. 5, un enlarged detailed sectional view taken through a portion of the shell and rotor, the section being indicated by line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6, a detailed face view of n tumberactuating rail with parts broken away and parts in section, and

Fig. 7, a detailed sectional elevation through the motor shaft showing a sparktiming mechanism-of standard type emplfliyed in connection with the motor.

eferring by characters to the drawings, A represents a water-jacketed fixed shell having passages 2, 2 extending -from the lower side' portions thereof and forming at their inner ends fuel intake and exhaust ports 3, 3', respectively. The iniier walls of the shell are forme/d with oppositely disposed concentric oilset surfaces fr, y, which are separated by concentric short-length surfaces of a corresponding lesser diameter thun the first mentioned surfaces and constitute the equivalents of cylinder heads 4, 4. The cylinder heads are merged into the outer concentric surfaces y, by gentle cam curves as shown.

AV cylindrical rotorl B is revolubly mounted within the lixed shell and its annular surface israccurately ground to engage the circular faces of thel cylinder heads. Hence plane as indicated by..

the rotor, in conjunction with .the before mentioned offset ortions of the shell, forms the equivalent ci) an explosion ornworking cylinder C, and a charging or compression cylinder D, constituting separate com artments. The cylinder head 4 is positioned intermediate of the intake and exhaust ports 3 and 3 and separates'the suction end rl of the compression c linder D from the exhaust end c of the wor ing cylinder C. The piston head 4 of the shell separates the comression end d of the c linder D from the ring end c of the wor 'ng c linder C.

The head 4 il provided wit an aperture 110 5', into which is fitted a suitable spark-plug 5, the same being positioned near the firing cnd 1" ot' the working cylinder, asbest shown in Fig. 3.

The peripheral wall of the rotor B is provided with three semi-circular cavities 6 for ground joint tit with a correspondingly shaped set of working pistons E, which pistons are of the butterfly type, whereby they are practically balanced and when in their neutral positions they are nested within the annular surface of the rotor to forni an unbroken contour with the exception that' one wing e is slightly liattened upon its face to permit the outer corner to engage the contracted end surfaces of the working cylinder, whereby iriction is eliminated to a certain extent when thc rotor is revolved in the direction of the arrow and the said piston is being forced into its neutral position in order to pass under the head l.

The work pistons rotate upon trunnions 7 that are positioned concentric with the axis about which the cavities are described The cxtreme inovcment of each work piston is limited b v a stop-key 7 which is seated within the bottom of the cavity and extended into :n.segmental recess?" that is formed in the bottom wall of said piston. A series of tumblers 8 are pivotally mounted upon the opposite side walls of the rotor, near its axis of motion and each pair of tuinblers is connected to a work piston by lilik 9, as best shown in Fig. 3.' The tension coiled sprinlg 9 is attached to each tumbler and to the rotor side-wall, the reflex action of which spring tends to force the work piston against the outer surface of the rot or, which formil one wall of the workin; r cylinder or compartment (d, which movement is eti'ected by the lever connections comprising a set of links or tumblers.

Positive control of each working piston is had by a fixed segmental track-rail 10,. Disposed about the axis of the rotor and concentric therewith. the inner surface of the track-rail being engageait-)le by heel pins 11 that projectY from .the tumblers, whereby the working pistons are held in closedpositions as they travel beyond the field of the work cylinder.

Each tumbler is also provided with a wiper-toe 12, which toe is adapted to engage a fixed stud 12 that projects inwardly from the hase 10 of the track-rail, said engagement beingr effected after the tumbler is freed from said rail, this movement occurring at the moment that the fiattened surface e of the pist/ori E leaves the pistonhead 4', at which time an explosion occurs to,impart a Working stroke to the Work ist/on, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the rawin s; Thus the work piston is not only positivy forced out to effect a perfect tmion with the outer walls oi the wor-'icing 'the length of the pistons that may occur through wear. The outer corners ot' the compression pistons are channeled out tor the reception of T`shaped packing blocks 1l, whereby the contacting faces of the moyable and fixed units of the motor are packed and said blocks are held into contact with the fixed unit or walls of the motor by coiled springs 14', which coiled springs are seated in bored recesses bach of said blocks. Thus the side edges and upper corner edges of the compression pistons are capable ot' taking up of the rotor and the lower section f ot' eaclr plate is slightly shortened to form a shoulder y, in connection with the upper section' f. which shoulder is bored longitudinally for the reception oi a spring-pressed plugr lt. These series of plugs 16 exert constant pressure upon the outer face ot' a coupling ring' 1T, which ring is provided with curved Slots 1T' that are engaged b v roller pins 18. there being one ot' the same projecting from each end of the compression pistons. it being understood that a pair of said rings are employed. Hence it will be seen that the compression pistons so connected move in and out under-common control of the ring 1T. while at the same time said pistons have a limited amount of yield or play, due t-o the spring-controlled plugs which are associated with the pair of coupling rings, whereby the upper contacting faces of the pistons are held in ground joint union with the engaged outer surfaces d, y, d. of the suction and compression cylinder D. A

In assembling the motor parts described, the working pistons and their lever connections are adjusted to the rotor end walls and the compression pistons being in place, the said end walls of the rotor are then tt'ed with segmentalV cover-plates 18', the same being secured by bolts 18". Radial edges of the cover-platesl, together, ormiclearance vslots for the protruding compression piston ends.

The coger-plates 18 are suitably recessed ou their baekfffwalls to ferns uur housings for the operating mechanism ofthe work istons and said cover-plates Aare also prov'ulifd with journal-aperti:rcs for the work piston trunnions 7 and at the same time the cover-plates being in abutting engagement with the ends of the working pistons, they constitute end closures for the cireularpist0n cavities 6. The pair of coupling rings 17 are nextfitted to the roller-pins 18 and associated spring plugs, which are carried by the compression pistons. Hence, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the slots 17 of the rings are of sutiicient length and width to permit compensating independent movement of the several pistons and the tendency of the spring plugs serves to hold the upper faces of the compression pistons in engagement with the outer wall of the compression cylinder. The coupling rings are adapted to rotate and at the same time have a wabble motion relative to the axis of rotation of the rotor, which movement is had due to the fact that clearance for the rings is formed by rccessing the outer faces of the cover-plates 18', whereby said rings are upon approximately the same plane as the high faces of the assembled cover-plates.,

i The open ends of the fixed shell are closed by companion water channel shell caps 19. These caps form end walls for the piston chambers or cylinders against which the fend edges of the compression pistons con- `tact as they travel through the compression cylinder. The ca s 19 are also provided with inwardly o set segmental cams 20, which cams conform to the outer contour of the working cylinder C- and the annular face of the rotor, which annular face comprises the cover-plate sectors that are secured to the ends of the rotor, the same being upon the same plane and in round jo'int engagement with the inner circular faces of the cams.

It is manifest that the said segmental cams t 20 restrict the width of aworking cylinder relative to the width of the compression cvlinder and it follows that the. inner circo ar, faces of the cams con stitnte guides for the outc r edges of the compression `pistons which engage the same w en said istons enter the work cylinder, whereby t ey are held in their retracted or idle ositions during that part of their c cle. Wiicn thcwork pistons are traveling tlirough the working cylinderi the inner side surfaces of the segmental cams 20 form a tight joint in connection with the flush ends of said Working pistons to prevent a leakage at this oint. The hase 10 of each segmental trac -rail 10 is fastened to the inner face `ol the associated shell cap 19 so as to vertically aline said track-rail and its fixed stud 12"in position to he engaged by the work iston tumbler mecizmism.

The rotor is carried by a shaft 21, the same being journaledin boxes 21 with which the shell-caps are provided. Between cach work the rotor B ias formed therein a gas pocket B', which pockets are adapted to receive the successively compressed fuel charges as said pockets travel under the head 4', it being understood that tlu` pockets are in advance of thc compression pistons, which pistons force thc charges therein as they wipe downwardly at the tapered end of the compression cylinders in advance of their travel under the compression and ex losion head 4.

As shown, one of l e journal-boxes 21' carricscontact pins 22, which ins are electrically connected'to the spar -plug 5 and a commutator ring Q3 that is electrically eoniston and compression piston,

nected to a source of energy is made fast upon the shaft having a brush 23. which successively engages the contact pins, where by a spark properly timed is generated to ignite the successive charges of gas.

The operation of tlie motor is practically thc same as that described in connection with my patent previously referred to. The fuel charge enters through the port 3 in the partial vacuum formed hack of thc compression piston and a subsequent charge forward of said piston is compressed as the piston travcls from the intake end to the compression end of the working cylinder. The compressed charge of gas in the pocket B'. upon entering the firing end of the working cylinder, is ignited by the spark-plug and one wing of the work piston being now in contact with the outer wall of the working cylinder. the exploded charge will exert. force thereon, whereby a working impulse is imparted to the rotor, as said iston travels Vin the direction indicated `b vr t e arrows` it being understood that a movement ofthe working pistoniis controlled bythe cam-rail and pin associated therewith, which pin engages the tumhlcr that is in link connection with. the piston, whereby said piston is positively moved out by mechanical force and also by spring force. I

l claim:

1. ln a rotary engine the combination of a shell provided with oii'sct compression and working cylinders, division heads between the cylinders` a rotor en ageable with the division heads, a series o oscillatory working pistons mounted within the rotor.l and a series of reciprocatire compression pistons mounted in said rotor, the rotor being rovided with pockets between each wor 'ng working cylinders, division heads between the cylinders, a rotor en ageable with the division heads, a series o oscillatory working pistons mountedwithin the rotor, and a series of reci rocative compression pistons mounted in said rotor, the rotor being iprovided with pockets between each wor ing and compression piston' the combination of spring-controlled tumblers carried by the rotor, links connecting said tumblers and working istons, and positive means for actuating t e tumblers in the same direction as that exerted by their spring control.

3. In a .rotar en 'ne the combination of a shell provid wit oifset compression and work' cylinders, division heads between the cylinders, a rotor en geable with the division heads, a series ogn oscillatory working pistons mounted within the rotor, and a series of reciprocative compression pistons mounted in said rotor, the rotor being rovided with pockets between each wor ing and compression piston; the combination of tumblers carried y. the rotor in link connection with the working ends of the pistons, means for exerting a yielding pressure upon the said pistons` and means carried by the shell for imparting itive movement to the aforesaid pistons t rough their tumbler connections.

4. In a rotary en `ne the combination of a, shell provided wit offset compression and worki cylindersz division heads between the c ylmders, a rotor engageable with the division heads, a series o oscillatory working pistons mounted within the rotor, and a series ofreciprocative compression pistons mounted in sald rotor, the rotor being rovided with pockets between each wor 'ng and compression iston; the combination of a series of tumb ers in pivotal union with each end of the rotor, the tumblers being provided with heel-pins and wiper-toes, circular segmental rails carried b the shell for engagement with the tumbler ,heel-pins,

means extending from the shell for engagement with the tumbler wiper-toes, and a link connection between each pair of tumblers and the ends of the working pistons.

5. In a rotary en ine the combination of a shell provided wit 1 offset compression and working cylinders, division heads between the cylinders, a, rotor entgageable with the division heads, a series o oscillatory working pistons mounted within the rotor, und a series of reci rocative compression pistons mounted Vin said rotor, the rotor being provided with pockets between each working and compression iston; the combination of a series of tumb ers in pivotal union with each end of the rotor, the tumble'rs being provided with heelins and wiper-toes, circular segment'al rai s carried by the shell for engagement with the tumbler heel-pins, means extending from the shell for engagement with the tumbler wiper-toes, a link connection between each pair of tumblers and the ends of the working istons, and a spring connecting each tum ler and the rotor to exert an expanding force upon the working pistons.

(i. In n. rotary engine the combination with a .shell having offset compression and worki chambers,`of a rotor disposed between t e chambers, pairs of valves carried by the rotor and movable to project at the peri hery thereof and means for intermittent y holding one valve of each pair against movement to projecting position, said means being operable coincident with movement of the other valve of the pair to extending position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin7 in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

Geo. W. YOUNG, M. E. Downer. 

